The present invention relates to a method for driving a plasma display panel, and more particularly to a method for driving a direct current memory type plasma display panel.
In general, the method for driving a direct current memory type plasma display panel (PDP) is classified into two groups: supplementary discharging using a supplementary anode for easier primary discharge and trigger discharging using a trigger electrode.
FIG. 1 shows the structure of the conventional direct current (DC) memory type PDP.
Referring to FIG. 1, the PDP has two plates, i.e., an upper plate 10 and an lower plate 20. Anodes 11 are arranged as stripes on tipper plate 10, and a trigger electrode 21 is formed oil the whole surface of lower plate 20. Trigger electrode 21 is covered with a dielectric material 22 on which a partition wall 23 is constructed in the shape of a lattice. Partition wall 23 is accompanied with striped cathodes 24 on its right side and has striped sustaining anodes 25 on its left side.
FIGS. 2A-2D show waveforms detected at each electrode, for driving, the conventional DC-memory type PDP.
FIG. 2A shows the data loaded on an anode, FIG. 2B shows the pulse applied at the sustaining anode, FIG. 2C shows the pulse applied at the trigger electrode, and FIG. 2D shows the scan pulse applied at the cathode.
Tile method for driving the PDP is hereinafter described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2A-2D.
1) When the trigger signal turns on, i.e., when the triggering voltage is about -500 V and the voltage applied at an anode is about +100 V, the discharging occurs, so that the positive charges accumulate on the dielectric layer.
2) When a first cathode initially turns on. i.e. when a first cathode is applied with about -180 V, the positive charges accumulated on the dielectric layer around first cathode begin to discharge. As such, the triggering discharge occurs.
3) If the first cathode turns on again and is supplied with data, the primary discharge is induced. That is, the triggering discharge in step 2) facilitates the primary discharge.
4) After the primary discharge of step 3) takes place, the discharge can be sustained by means of the sustaining voltage applied at the sustaining anode and the voltage applied at the cathode.
5) When the voltage applied at first cathode reaches the maximum voltage level, the discharge stops. This step is for suspending the discharging operation.
In such cases, since the on-time is short and the data voltage is not provided during a triggering discharge duration, the triggering discharge is insufficient for facilitating the primary discharge. However, if the triggering discharge is insufficient, although the data is not supplied during the primary discharging period, the triggering discharge is induced so that the sustaining discharge can be maintained.